Tuor Planta
The Tuor Planta or Plantaturm stands in Susch in the Lower Engadine in the Swiss canton of Graubünden on the right bank of the Inn next to the Reformed Church . It is named after the widely ramified von Planta family , who belonged to the leading lower nobility families of the Chur Monastery in the 15th century.
history
The Graubünden chronicler Ulrich Campell mentioned three medieval residential towers in Susch around 1570, two of which have been preserved: the Tuor Planta and the Tuor la Praschun; the Rosler tower on the other side of the river has disappeared.
There are no written documents about the construction of the tower; It was probably built in the 13th century. It could have served as a residence for the Lords of Susch, who are mentioned in 1283 with Conradus and Albrandus, the sons of a "dominus Albertus de Soxio". The family was in the service of the Bishop of Chur .
At the beginning of the 16th century, a branch of the large von Planta family settled in Susch and from then on called itself “Planta von Susch”. Around 1520, a knight Heinrich lived in the tower as the episcopal governor. After several changes of ownership after 1926, the tower is again owned by the von Planta family.
construction
The five-story tower with its warehouse-like masonry measures 8 × 8 meters in plan. Its corner stones are provided with bosses with edging. A passage now walled up in the southeast wall probably led to a gallery or arbor.
In the post-medieval period, the tower was structurally changed several times inside and out. The baroque onion hood probably dates from the 17th century. In addition to the residential building that is still visible today, other buildings were built against the tower.
In an illustration from 1888, the top floor of the tower still has numerous square wall openings that are bricked up today. Presumably they were used for ventilation because meat and fruit were dried here. Around 1900 the house between the church and the tower was demolished and the whole tower was rebuilt inside. The new rooms on the lower floors received modern window openings.
literature
- Otto P. Clavadetscher / Werner Meyer : The castle book of Graubünden . Zurich / Schwäbisch Hall 1984. p. 198.
- Erwin Poeschel : The Castle Book of Graubünden . Zurich / Leipzig 1930. p. 288.
- Fritz Hauswirth: Castles and Palaces of Switzerland , Vol. 9; Kreuzlingen 1973. p. 61.
- Anton von Castelmur: The castles and palaces of Graubünden , III. Part; Basel 1944. p. 67
